The availability of Suns starters Channing Frye and Grant Hill are in question for Tuesday night because of injuries to both and the birth of Channing and Lauren Frye's second child Monday.

Frye already had great uncertainty about his ability to play Tuesday night after suffering a subluxation Saturday to his right shoulder, the one he dislocated last season and injured while with Portland. While he was hoping two off days would reduce the swelling and allow for range of motion to increase, his wife went into labor early Monday morning.

The team picture was canceled last month when Hill had surgery and was again Monday when Frye was attending to the birth of his first daughter (7-pound, 13-ounce Margaux Lauren). Frye is expected to fly to Utah and join the team Tuesday.

"He's made some progress," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "He's still going to have to get his shoulder up above his head in order to shoot the basketball. We'll have to see what kind of progress he makes in that area."

Hill also will be a game-time decision after missing the past four games because of a sore right knee, which he aggravated while planting to make a defensive shift April14 at San Antonio. That ended a two-game comeback that came two weeks after arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus tear.

"You want to be smart about it," Hill said. "I've pushed it most of the season. We can sort of analyze and try to figure it out, but the bottom line is: If it feels good and I pass a few tests that the training staff put out for me before the game and everything is good, then we'll suit it up. If not, I'll try my best as coach-slash-cheerleader."

Hill has not exercised on the knee since going through a pregame routine to try to play Saturday. When one-legged hopping caused pain in the right knee, the return was called off and he was shut down rather than continuing the daily work he had been doing on it.

"I've been in this situation before, and it cost me four or five years," said Hill, who worsened an ankle injury by playing through it for Detroit in the 2000 playoffs and played through pain related to an appendectomy and a past sports hernia for Phoenix during the 2008 playoffs. "We've been cautious, and we'll continue to be cautious. If it feels good and it passes a series of tests and there's no problem, then we'll go. If not, I think it would be selfish of me to think that I can help the team if I'm not right. If I can go out and run and defend and try to be somewhat effective, then I'll do it."

Even without conditioning, Hill said he felt he could help defensively and as a leader like he did April13 in his first game back from the surgery. Hill has been known to try to practice while banged up, but Gentry said he does not have to protect Hill from his own drive as much when he knows he is injured.

Hill will test the knee Tuesday in Salt Lake City, leaving two-fifths of the starting lineup up in the air.

"The whole season has been up in the air for this team," Suns guard Steve Nash said. "We lost our first game, and we've been fighting ever since to get back in position to make the playoffs. Here we are, with two games left, with a chance to win both and go to the playoffs. We're happy to be here. We're excited to go out and have a big game.

"Whatever we throw out there, we've got to find a way to scrap and fight and claw to get it done."